Current Affairs Quiz – December 2025

Notes:
Researchers found a nearly intact ancient pottery vessel near Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, dating back over 10,000 years. It is Japan’s largest freshwater lake on Honshu, about 64 kilometres long and 672 square kilometres in area. The lake looks like a biwa musical instrument and is over four million years old. It is fed by mountain rivers and drains into Osaka Bay through the Yodo River. It supports fish, pearl culture, water supply, textile industries, and was listed under the Ramsar Convention in 1993.

Notes:
Samudrayaan is India’s first manned deep-ocean submersible mission to reach 6,000 metres depth. Testing is delayed due to late supply of syntactic foam from France, now expected by year-end after testing in Norway. The project is led by National Institute of Ocean Technology under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. A steel model has been tested up to 100 metres; a 500-metre trial is planned by April next year. The final titanium hull, built by Indian Space Research Organisation, will be tested in Russia. The mission will carry three crew members to collect seabed soil and rocks for future deep-sea mining.

Notes:
Delhi High Court quashed the proceedings of the Lokpal of India against Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in a promotion-related case. The case involved alleged irregularities at the National Productivity Council (NPC). National Productivity Council (NPC) was established under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It is a non-profit body with equal representation from government, employers, and workers. It provides consultancy, training, research, publications, and productivity awards. It is also a member of the Asian Productivity Organisation (APO).

Notes:
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) won the Gold Prize for Public Outreach and Communication at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2025 in New Delhi. The award recognised its innovative, inclusive, and people-friendly communication through the GST and Customs Pavilion. The pavilion ran from 14–27 November 2025 with the theme “Next-Gen Goods and Services Tax (GST): Simple Tax, Prosperous Nation.”

Notes:
The University Grants Commission (UGC) asked all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to nominate teachers for the National Mission for Mentoring (NMM). National Mission for Mentoring (NMM) is a flagship scheme of the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It connects Mentors (guides) with Mentees (teachers) to share skills and improve teaching quality. The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) designed the mission and released the NMM Blue Book.

Notes:
Tenkasi District Forest Division, Tamil Nadu launches the ‘Golden Jackal Ambassadors’ scheme in schools and colleges to conserve dwindling golden jackal populations. Students will become Golden Jackal Ambassadors after training and awareness sessions on wildlife conservation. Ambassadors will disseminate messages on conserving golden jackals, rescuing injured animals, and releasing them back into forests. Lack of public awareness on small animals like golden jackal, mongoose, ant-eater, tortoise, snakes, monitor lizard has caused population decline. The scheme is modeled on the ‘Friends of Elephants’ program, which successfully reduces human-elephant conflict through public cooperation.

Notes:
The Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025 was released by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India. The report analysed around 15,000 groundwater samples collected across India in 2024. 13–15% of total samples showed uranium contamination, exceeding Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) drinking water limits. In Delhi, 24 out of 83 samples exceeded uranium parameters; contamination was above 30 parts per billion (PPB) in pre- and post-monsoon samples. Northwestern India—Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, parts of Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh—emerged as uranium contamination hotspots due to geogenic factors, groundwater depletion, and aquifer characteristics.

Notes:
India has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for 2026–27. The 34th session of the IMO Assembly was held in London, where the elections took place. India received the highest vote tally in the category of ten countries with the largest interest in international seaborne trade. It secured 154 out of 169 valid votes cast during the election.

Notes:
India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission, to support Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah caused floods, landslides, and widespread disruption. Cyclone made landfall on 27 November 2025, causing fatalities and affecting thousands. Indian Air Force (IAF) delivered approx 12 tonnes of aid on 29 November 2025, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, and ready-to-eat food to Colombo. The operation provides food, essentials, and logistical support to manage immediate crises in Sri Lanka.

Notes:
Government will set up National Coral Reef Research Institute (NCRRI) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands at a cost of ₹120 crore. It will be the nodal and monitoring agency for coral reef research across India. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is responsible for establishing the National Coral Reef Research Institute (NCRRI). NCRRI will focus on coral reef research, conservation, and management. Coral reefs protect coasts from storms and strong waves, saving lives and property. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) museum will introduce QR code-based digital access to species information.